I don't want to bitch Xeo...the fundamentals of the game are really good. But instead of building on top of the first game, they seem to have chose to branch out all over the place.

Playing as Banjo and Kazooie is fun, but:

1) Why am I controlling Mambo Jumbo? And if I am controlling him, why is he not fun to play with? Why is the objective that involves him, just moving him to a plate to summon a giant, who again I just move around till I get to the 2 giant gates and kick them open?

2) The FPS section.....OH MY GOD

I have some thoughts on the level design itself too, but I will wait till I've played more of the game, since I didn't exactly go crazy for the first level in Banjo Kazooie either.

I'd say with Banjo-Tooie you'd really have to WANT to play it and invest into it. Can't just think of it as a quick action game to beat in a couple weeks to get your fix. Thirty minutes to get to the first level sounds like the game is gonna be awesome to me.

That said, Banjo-Tooie probably my favorite game of all-time behind DKC2 and Ocarina of Time (it changes often). It's bloated yes, but bloated with really varied and high quality content, which in terms of that aspect, I think some people seem to overlook.

+Play as a freaking T-Rex+Dragon fire-breathing Kazooie!+New moves like separating Banjo and Kazooie in order to solve puzzles+Many different gameplay types along with the platforming, such as the soccer minigames and FPS (which I thought was awesome)+A HUGE world that is relatively non-linear and heavy on exploration, unlike every other 3D platformer I've personally played. Which yeah I guess that's where the backtracking comes in.+Unique characters to interact with on EVERY level that are all genuinely amusing.+Keeps ALL the old Banjo-Kazooie stuff like transforming into animals, jinjos, and the old moves and just adds on to it, not take it away. It also doesn't try to change the gameplay like Jak 2 or BK: Nuts and Bolts; it simply adds on to an awesome thing.+Awesome new music from Grant Kirkhope, and improved art style.+There's bosses now for each level!+The worlds interconnect with each other, and doing certain things in certain levels unlocks blocked paths in other levels making everything seem connected and intertwined, not just going through the motions of getting from A to B. Same thing with doing favors for the characters, like for Bottle's kids, Boggy, the Jinjo's in Jinjo Village etc. And in terms of backtracking, often the passageway is right there and is a shortcut to the level; don't need to trek ALL the way back. Plus there's a train you get to access eventually to help you move along the hub world.+Better than DK64.